Gate-opener.



J. M. & J. A. STAFFORD.

GATE OPENER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 1915. nzfizwin OCT. I6, 1916.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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J. M. & J. A. STAFFORD.

GATE OPENER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1915. RENEWED ocT. 16.1916.

Patented Dec. 5,1916.

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JAMES M. STAFFORD AND JAMES A. STAFFORD, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.

GATE-OPENER.

Application filed July 9, 1915, Serial No. 39,009.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES M. STAFFORD and JAMES A. STAFFORD, citizens of the United States, residing at Washington, in the county of Daviess and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a gate opening mechanism for use in connection with farm gates and the like, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the gate can be readily opened by a person approaching the same and closed by a person departing therefrom, without the necessity of dismounting from a horse or vehicle.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which admits of the gate being unlatched and swung into an open or a closed position with slight effort, which is not liable to get out of repair, and which can be readily manipulated from the seat of a vehicle approaching or departing from the ate.

g With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following de scription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a gate opener constructed in accordance with the invention, the gate being shown by full lines in a closed position and by dotted lines in an open position, and portions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate more clearly the details of construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate in a closed position, portions of the gate opening mechanism being removed. Fig. 3 is an end view of the gate and gate opening mechanism, viewing the same from the hinged end of the gate, portions being broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the latch mechanism for holding the gate in an open position, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916. Renewed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 126,041.

gate post and hinged end of the gate, showing a slight modification of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a gate post which is located upon one side of the road, and 2 a latch post which is located upon the opposite side of the road. A swinging gate 3 which may be of any conventional construction is mounted upon the gate post 1 by means of suitable hinges 4 so that it is free to swing laterally about a vertical axis into an open ora closed position. The swinging end of the gate 3 is provided with a sliding latch bolt 5 which is normally held in engagement with a keeper 6 on the latch post 2 by means of a spring 7, so that in order to open the gate it is first necessary to with draw the latch bolt into an inoperative position.

An angle iron standard 8 is secured to the hinged end of the gate 3 and projects upwardly above both the gate and the gate post. Secured to the upper end of the standard 8 is a triangular frame F which projects rearwardly and laterally from the gate. This frame F includes a side 9 which projects rearwardly from the gate 3 in alinement therewith, a side 10 which projects laterally from the end of the side 9 and is disposed at right angles thereto, and a third side or hypotenuse 11 connecting the sides 9 and 10. The triangular frame F is rigid with the angle iron standard 8 and gate 8, and the laterally projecting corner thereof is provided with an eye 12.

Posts 13 are arranged at one side of the road on opposite sides of the gate and at suitable distances therefrom, each of said posts being provided with a pair of laterally projecting arms 14 which are suitably braced at 15 and carry corresponding pulleys 16. A cable 17 passes around the several pulleys 16 and has one end thereof secured to the eye 12 at the laterally projecting corner of the triangular frame F. The opposite end of the cable passes around a pulley 18 which is connected to the eye 12 by a short cable or link member 19. After passing around the pulley 18, the end of the cable 17 is carried laterally at 17 to a pulley 20 upon the standard 8 at the hinged end of the gate, downwardly at 17 to a second pulley 21 at the hinged end of the gate, and then longitudinally-across the gate, as indicated at 17, the extremity of the cable being connected to the latch bolt 5. The vertical portions of the cable 17 between the superposed pulleys 16 of each of the posts 13 may be provided with suitable handles 22 adapted to be grasped by a driver when opening the gate or closing the same.

A person approaching the gate from the front thereof and desiring to open the same would grasp the handle 22 and pull downwardly thereon so as to produce tension in the portions 17 and 17 e of the cable. This would take up the slack in the short cable 19 .and be transmitted through the portions 17 and 17 of the cable to the latch bolt 5 so as to retract the same into an inoperative position. A continued pull upon the cable Would then act upon the triangular frame F through the eye 12 to swing the gate into an open position. After passing through the gate, the driver would close the same by pulling downwardly upon the other handle 22, said handle having been previously raised by the movements of the cable incident to opening the gate. This would result in producing tension in the portions 17 and 17 of the cable, and pulling upon the eye 12 so as to swing the gate into a closed position. Upon approaching the gate from the opposite side, the operation of opening and closing the same would be identical, with the exception that the respective handles 22 would be successively pulled upwardly to open and close the gate. A The provision of the laterally projecting arms 1d upon the posts 13 provides clearance space for the hubs of vehicle wheels so that a driver can brings the vehicle into such a position that the gate opening mechanism can be conveniently manipulated without any necessity for dismounting.

A latch post 24 is provided for holding the gate in an open position. A vertical swinging latch 25 is pivotally mounted upon the latch post 24 and formed with a beveled nose and a hooked end for engagement with the edge of an inclined block 26 applied to the swinging end of the gate. The latch member 25 is connected by a link member or cable 27 to a ring 28 which loosely receives the portion 17 of the cable 17. There is normally sufficient slack in the cable to admit of the latch member 25 swinging downwardly into operative position, although whena pull isexerted upon either of the handles 22 for closing the gate the slack in the portion 17 is taken up and the latch 25 lifted into an inoperative position so as to release the gate. A continued pull upon the cable then operates to close the gate, and as soon as the gate reaches a closed position the latch bolt 5 will engage the keeper 6 of the latch post 2.

A slight modification is shown by Fig. 5, in which the rearwardly extending frame F at the hinged end of the gate consists of a single bar 29 which is rigidly secured to the upper end of the angle iron standard 8 of the gate and is arranged at an angle of substantially 45 to the plane of the gate. The eye 12 to which the extremity of the cable 17 is attached is applied to the end of the bar 29 and the operation of the gate is exactly as previously described. In both forms of the invention the eye 12 is positioned t one side of the plane of the gate so that substantially the same leverage is obtained upon the gate for closing the same as for opening it. There is thus no difficulty in opening and closing the gate without dismounting from a horse or vehicle, and this can be readily accomplished when passing through the gate in either direction.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described, including a gate post, a latch post, a swinging gate hinged to the gate post, a latch upon the gate, a triangular frame member rigid with the hinged end of the gate and projecting rearwardly and laterally therefrom, a pulley, a link member connecting the pulley to the laterally projecting corner of the triangular frame, posts at each side of the gate, superposed lateral arms projecting from each of the posts, corresponding pulleys upon the said arms, a cable passing around the pulleys of the arms and having one end thereof connected to the laterally projecting corner of the triangular frame while the opposite end thereof passes aroundthe pulley of the triangular frame, and pulleys upon the gate, the second mentioned end of the cable passing around the pulleys of the gate and being connected to the latch to automatically release the same preparatory to opening the gate.

2. A device of the character described including a gate post, a main latch post, a second latch post, a gate hinged to the gate post, a latch upon the gate for engagement with the main latch post, a frame member rigid with the gate and projecting laterally from the hinged end thereof, a pulley connected to the end of the rigid frame member posts at each side of the gate, guide pulleys carried by the posts, a cable passing around the guide pulleys and having one end thereof connected to the end of the rigid frame member while the opposite end thereof passes around the pulley of the rigid frame member, an operative connection between the said end of the cable and the latch member In testimony whereof We aflix our signaof the gate, a latch member upon the sectures in the presence of two Witneses. 0nd latch post, a ring receiving the cable,

JAMES M. STAFFORD. and a llnk member connectin the ring to the latch member of the secon post for re JAMES STAFFORD leasing the said latch member When the Witnesses: slack is taken up in the cable preparatory DONALD ELLIs, to closing the gate. NELLE AIKMAN.

Goptea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

